Paris's Mayor, Bertrand Delanoe, has announced the installation of a massive electric car-sharing scheme in his city. Autolib takes its cue from the city's successful Velib bicycle-sharing system and will make up to 4,000 electric cars available at stations located throughout Paris, allowing users to rent one on the spot and return it elsewhere, charging them a per-mile rate.

There will be about 700 pick up/drop off/recharge locations scattered throughout the city and its suburbs. Autolib will be open to any legal driver who registers with the service. Despite opposition from France's Green Party, which wants to eliminate car use in the city altogether, Delanoe is aiming to have the system up and running by late 2009 or early 2010 and says that it will reduce congestion, the battle for parking spots and pollution. Vive la France! [via Channel 4]